Skip to Main Content

MUSPF 152 I, 252 I: Music Performance Studies - Voice

More Research and Writing Help

For research questions:

For writing help:

  • Make an appointment with the Writing Desk for assistance with organizing ideas and improving your writing style.

 

Some instructions and tips

Use the tabs to the left to make your way through this guide! I've grouped some helpful databases by type (streaming video and audio, journal articles, etc.).

As you conduct research on a song, think carefully:

  • What bias exists that might have affected the resource you're looking at (publisher bias, racism/discrimination, popular opinions of the time)?
  • What resources did an author use to put together their resource? (Check their works cited/bibliography list to find more resources)
  • Was the work commissioned for someone, or sponsored? Was there a particular vocalist associated with the work, or someone whose performance made the work well-known? What recordings should you examine?

I always recommend that you use an encyclopedia/dictionary entry to get a good overview on a topic (and find more resources via bibliography), books, journal articles, and current newspapers, look at historical materials such as old newspapers and correspondence to examine how opinions have changed over time, and recordings to find good performances (as well as the liner notes for additional resources and information). There's not a one-stop shop for doing research, though! If you need any assistance, just email me or set up a research appointment with me.